
























ian Geographic Names 
of ^Vashington 


Compiled by 
Edmond S. Meany 



Published by 

Fkc Hyatt-F oivells School 

Pine & Broadway. Seattle 










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JUN 2 ^ 908 

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A Word about tbe Indian 
Names of tbe State of Washington 

232323232323232323232323232323 


HE popular conception that the 
“Chinook Language" is the “Si- 
wash Language" is doubly incor¬ 
rect. Chinook is not a language 
and. Siwash is not the name of the 
western Indian. Chinook is 
merely a jargon and Siwash is 
simply a Chinook word meaning 
man, and could as properly be applied to a white 
man if the real meaning be followed. The Chinook 
jargon was invented by Capt. Cook and his party of 
explorers for use in dealing with the various tribes 
of Puget Sound Indians, supplemented later by Van¬ 
couver and his men, and spread broadcast by fur 
dealers and others. It is composed of words taken 
from different tribal languages, mixed with French 
and English words; and is so simple in its construc¬ 
tion that it not only served its purpose with the 
white man to talk with the Indian, but was speedily 
acquired by the different tribes, themselves, for use 
in communicating with their neighbors, for the na¬ 
tive language of one tribe was strange to and not 
comprehended by another — there were thirty-six 
dialects on Puget Sound, all different. 






I N those early days, this jargon spread until it was 
used by the Indians, and their pale-faced visitors, 
from the Rocky mountains to the Pacific ocean, 
and from California to Mount St. Elias in Alaska. 
Beyond Mount St. Elias the line was sharply drawn 
and the Chinook was unknown, the Indians there 
using their own language, with a liflle English and 
a great deal of Russian. This curious Volapuk or 
Esperanto ot the early explorers consists of about 
three hundred unrelated words. A few of these 
words, only, are found among the geographic names 
of the state of Washington, and most of these are 
undoubtedly taken from the native Indian language, 
but not always from the language of the natives who 
live where the name was applied, because the geo¬ 
graphic term was applied after the Chinook jargon 
had spread from tribe to tribe. 

T HERE is liflle or no literature on this subject, 
at the present time, but the origin and meaning 
of these geographic terms will some day be 
carefully traced and recorded, but not until a vast 
amount of careful research has been made. In the 
meantime, it is worth while to preserve and contin¬ 
ue the use of these Indian terms; and to facilitate 
their correct pronunciation, orthography and location 
this booklet has been prepared. The Government 
has in progress a phamphlet on the Indian county 
names of Washington, giving their pronunciation 
and meaning. 


Indian Names in Common Use as Geographic 
Terms in the State of Washington 

ATATAVAVAVATATAT/VTATATATAVATAV 

▲VAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVA.VAVAVAVAV 


O An effort is here made to indicate the cor¬ 
rect pronunciation, spelling and location of 
the Indian geographic terms of Washington. 
A most common mistake is made in the 
pronunciation of the words Alki and Leschi. 
These words are almost invariably pro¬ 
nounced as though the final vowel were long, where¬ 
as the proper pronunciation places the accent on the 
first syllable, with the final vowel short. Wah¬ 
kiakum, Cathlamet, Conconnully, Kalama, Olalla, 
Puyallup, Seattle, Spokane and Tenino are other 
words which perhaps the majority of us mispro¬ 
nounce habitually. The compiler will he grateful 
for any corrections of or additions to this list. 



Ahtanum (accent on the second syllable, in which 
the vowel is short), a river in Yakima County. 

Alki (accent on the first syllable, in which the vowel 
is short; the second vowel is also short, as if it were 
spelled “Alky”), a point opposite the city of Seattle. 


Almota (accent on the second syllable, in which the 
vowel is long; both other vowels are short), a town 
in Whitman County. 

Alpowa (accent on the second syllable, in which the 
vowel is short; the first vowel is short and the last 
one broad, as if followed by “h”), a town in Gar¬ 
field County. 

Asotin (accent on the second syllable, in which the 
vowel is long; both other vowels are short), a county 
and city in the southeastern corner of the state. 
Calispell (accent on the last syllable, in which the 
vowel is short; both other vowels are also short), a 
mountain, lake and town in Stevens County. 
Cathlamet (accent on the second syllable, in which 
the vowel is short; both other vowels are also short), 
a town in Wahkiakum County. 

Chehalis (accent on the second syllable, in which 
the vowel is long; the first vowel is long and the 
last one short), the name of a river, a county and a 
city in the southwestern part of the state. 

Chelan (accent on the last syllable, in which the 
vowel is short; the first vowel is also short), the name 
of a county, a lake, a town and a range of mountains. 
Chewelah (accent on the second syllable in which 
the vowel is long; the first vowel is short and the last 
vowel takes the broad sound as usual when “a” is 
followed bv “h”), a town in Stevens County. 


Chico (accent on the first syllable, in which the 
vowel takes the sound of long “e;“ the last vowel is 
long), town in Kitsap County. 

Chimacum (accent on the first syllable, in which the 
vowel is short; both other vowels are also short), a 
town in Jefferson County. 

Chinook (accent on the last syllable; the first vowel 
is short), a town in Pacific County, on the Columbia 
River, near its mouth. 

Clallam (accent on the first syllable, in which the 
vowel is short; the vowel in the last syllable is also 
short), name of a county and a bay in the north¬ 
western corner of the state. 

Cle-Elum (accent on the second syllable, in which 
the vowel is short; the last vowel is also short, but 
the first vowel is long), a town in Kittitas County. 
Conconully (accent on the third syllable; all the 
vowels are short), county seat of Okanogan County. 
Cowlitz (accent on the first syllable; both vowels 
are short), name of a river and a county. 

Dewatto (accent on the second syllable, in which 
the vowel is sounded as though followed by “h;“ 
both other vowels are short), a creek and town in 
Mason County. 

Duckabush (accent on the first syllable, in which 
the vowel is short; the second vowel is also short, 
but the last vowel has a longer sound as in “push”), 




a creek and town in Jefferson County. 

Dwamish (accent on the first syllable and the vowel 
broad as if followed by “h;” the last vowel is short), 
a river flowing into Seattle harbor. 

Elwah (accent on the first syllable, in which the 
vowel is short), a river in Clallam County near Port 
Angeles. 

Enetai (accent on the first syllable, in which the 
vowel is long; the second vowel is short and the last 
is pronounced as a long “i”), a town in Kitsap 
County. 

Entiat (accent on the first syllable, in which the 
vowel is short; both other vowels are also short), a 
ridge of mountains in Chelan County. 

Enumclaw (accent on the first syllable, in which the 
vowel is long; the second vowel is short), a town in 
King County. 

Hoh (an explosive word of one syllable, in which 
the vowel is long), name of a river and a small In¬ 
dian reservation in Jefferson County. 

HoQUIAM (accent on the first syllable, in which the 
vowel is Ibng; the “i” in the second syllable has the 
sound of long “e,” and the last vowel is short), name 
of a river and city in Chehalis County, on Gray’s 
Harbor. 

Humptulips (accent on the second syllable, in which 
the "u” has the sound as in rule; both other vowels 


are short), a river in Chehalis County. 

Ilwaco (accent on the second syllable, in which the 
“a” has the sound of “o” in “not;” the first vowel is 
short and the last one long), a city in Pacific County, 
at the mouth of the Columbia River. 

Issaquah (accent on the first syllable, in which the 
vowel is short; the second vowel is also short), a city 
in King County. 

Kachees (accent on the last syllable, in which the 
vowels are long; the first vowel is short), a mountain 
lake in western part of Kittitas County. 

Kalama (accent on the second syllable, in which the 
vowel is short; the first vowel is also short, but the 
final vowel is broad, as if followed by “h”), county 
seat of Cowlitz County, on the Columbia River. 
Kamilche (accent on the second syllable, in which 
the vowel is short; the first vowel is also short; the 
final vowel has the long sound, but receives but 
slight stress, as if it were “y”), a town in Mason 
County, near Shelton. 

Kanasket (accent on the second syllable, in which 
the vowel is short; the other vowels are also short), 
a town in King County. 

Keechelus (accent on the first syllable, in which the 
vowels are long; the other vowels are short), a moun¬ 
tain lake in the western part of Kittitas County. 
Kennewick (accent on the first syllable, in which 


the vowel is short; the other vowels are also short), a 
town in Benton County, near the Northern Pacific 
Railway bridge over the Columbia River. 

KlONA (accent on the second syllable, in which the 
vowel is long; the first vowel is long, but the final 
one is broad, as if followed by “h”), a town in Ben¬ 
ton County. 

Kitsap (accent on the first syllable, in which the 
vowel is short; the second vowel is not only short, 
but it is slighted in pronunciation, as if it could be 
indicated thus, “Kit-s’p”)* name of a county. 
Kittitas (accent on the first syllable, in which the 
vowel is short; the other vowels are also short), name 
of a county. 

Klickitat (accent on the first syllable, in which the 
vowel is short; the other vowels are also short), name 
of a county. 

Latah (accent on the last syllable, in which the 
vowel has the usual broad sound of “a” followed by 
“h;” the first vowel is short), a town in Spokane 
County. 

Leschi (accent on the first syllable, in which the 
vowel is short; the last vowel is long and the “c” is 
soft), name of an Indian chief, given to a park in 
Seattle. 

Lilliwaup (accent on the first syllable, in which the 
vowel is short; the second vowel is short and the 


diphthong has the sound of “wop”), river and falls 
in Mason County. 

Lummi (accent on the first syllable, in which the 
vowel is short; the final vowel is also short), an island 
near Bellingham Bay and an Indian reservation 
near by. 

Muckilteo (accent on the third syllable, in which 
the vowel is long; the vowels in the first and second 
syllables are short, while the final one is long), a 
town in Snohomish County, near Everett. 
Muckleshoot (accent on the first syllable, in which 
the vowel is short), name of an Indian reservation in 
King County. 

Naches (accent on the last syllable, in which the 
vowel is long; the first vowel is short), pass through 
the Cascade Mountains near the boundary between 
Pierce and King Counties. 

Nahcotta (accent on the second syllable, in which 
the vowel is short; both the other vowels have the 
broad sound of “a” followed by “h”), name of an 
Indian chief and of a town on the ocean beach of 
Pacific County, near Ilwaco. 

Neah (accent on the first syllable, in which the 
vowel is long), bay in Clallam County, near Cape 
Flattery. 

Nespelem (accent on the second syllable, in which 
the vowel is long, both other vowels short), town in 


Okanogan County, on the Colville Indian Reservation. 

Newaukum (accent on the second syllable, with the 
usual sound for that diphthong; the first vowel is 
long and that in the final syllable is short), name of 
a prairie and a town near Chehalis, in Lewis County. 

NlSQUALLY (accent on the second syllable, which is 
pronounced as though spelled “kwahl;” both other 
vowels are short), name of the river forming the 
boundary between Thurston and Pierce Counties. 
Olalla (accent on the first syllable, in which the 
vowel is long; the second vowel is short and the final 
one broad, as if followed by “h”), town in King 
County. 

Olequa (accent on the first syllable, in which the 
vowel is long; the second vowel is also long, and the 
final "a” is broad, as if followed by “h"), creek and 
railway station in Cowlitz County. 

Okanogan (there is a slight accent on the first syl¬ 
lable, in which the vowel is long, and a heavier ac¬ 
cent on the third syllable, in which the vowel is short; 
the vowels in the second and fourth syllables are both 
short), name of a river and a county. 

OzETTE (accent on the second syllable, in which the 
vowel is short; the initial vowel is long; the final 
vowel is not pronounced), name of a lake, river and 
Indian reservation on the ocean side of Clallam 
County. 


Palouse (accent on the second syllable, In which 
the diphthong has the sound of “u” in “lute;” the first 
vowel is short and the final one is ignored; the word 
is sometimes spelled Peloos in the journals of early 
travelers, which gives a better idea of its pronuncia¬ 
tion), name of a river and a city in Whitman County. 

Pataha (accent on the second syllable, in which the 
vowel has the broad sound of “a” followed by “h,” 
as has also the final vowel, while the first vowel is 
short), name of a town in Garfield County, near 
Pomeroy. 

Penawawa (accent on the third syllable, in which 
the vowel has the broad sound of “a” followed by 
“h,” as has the final vowel; the first two vowels are 
short; locally the final syllable is sometimes pro¬ 
nounced as though spelled “wee”), a creek and town 
in Whitman County. 

Peshastin (accent on the second syllable, in which 
the vowel is short; the vowel in the first syllable is 
long and in the last syllable short), a mining town in 
Chelan County. 

Potlatch (accent on the first syllable, in which the 
vowel is short), a milling town on Hood canal, in 
Mason County. 

Puyallup (the stumbling block in the pronunciation 
of this name is the letter ”y,” which could easily be 
spared from the word, as it is of no use in pronunci- 


ation; accent on the second syllable, in which the 
vowel is short; the first vowel is long and the last one 
short), name of a river and city in Pierce County. 
Pysht (the vowel is short), town in Clallam County, 
on the Strait of Juan de Fuca. 

Queets (the “ee” is as in “sweet”), river in the 
northwestern corner of Chehalis County. 

QuiLCENE (accent on the second syllable, in which 
the vowel is long; the “i” in the first syllable is short 
and the final “e” is ignored), town on Hood Canal 
in Jefferson County. 

QuiLLAYUTE (accent on the third syllable, in which 
the vowel is long; the “i” in the first syllable is short, 
as is the vowel in the second syllable; the final vowel 
is ignored), name of a river and a small Indian reser¬ 
vation on the ocean side of Clallam County. 

Quinaielt (accent on the final syllable; the vowels 
in the first two syllables are short, but in the last sylla¬ 
ble a broad “a” sound is used as if the word were 
spelled Quiniahlt), name of a lake, river and large 
Indian reservation in the northwestern corner of Che¬ 
halis County. 

Salteese (accent on the second syllable, in which the 
vowels are long; the final “e” is ignored; the first 
vowel has the sound of “a” in the ordinary word 
“salt”), the name of an Indian chief and of a lake 
in the eastern part of Spokane County. 



SamISH (accent on the first syllable, in which the 
vowel is short; the vowel in the second syllable is 
also short), name of a bay in Skagit County. 

Satsop (accent on the first syllable, in which the 
vowel is short, as is also the vowel in the second sylla¬ 
ble), name of a river and town in Chehalis County. 
SEATTLE (accent on the second syllable, in which the 
vowel is short; the vowel in the first syllable is long, 
and the final syllable has the usual sound of “tie,” 
as in “battle”), the county seat of King County. 
Skagit (accent on the first syllable, in which the 
vowel is short; the vowel in the second syllable is 
also short and the “g” is soft), name of a river and 
a county. 

Skamania (accent on the second syllable, in which 
the vowel is long; all the other vowels are short), 
name of a county on the Columbia River. 

Skokomish (accent on the second syllable, in which 
the vowel is long; the vowel in the first syllable is 
also long, while that in the final syllable is short), 
name of a river and an Indian reservation in Mason 
County. 

Skookum (accent on the first syllable; the vowel in 
the final syllable is short), name of a river in Lewis 
County. 

Skykomish (accent on the second syllable, in which 
the vowel is long; the vowel in the first syllable is 


long, and that in the last syllable short), a river in 
Snohomish County. 

Snohomish (accent on the second syllable, in which 
the vowel is long; the vowel in the first syllable is 
long and that in the final syllable is short), name of 
a river and a county. 

Snoqualmie (accent on the second syllable, in which 
the “a” is broad as if spelled “kwahl;” the vowel in 
the first syllable is long), name of a river in King and 
Snohomish Counties. 

Spokane (accent on the second syllable, in which 
the vowel is short; the vowel in the first syllable is 
long; the final “e” is ignored), name of a river, a 
county and a city. 

Stehekin (accent on the second syllable, in which 
the vowel is long; the vowels in the first and last syl¬ 
lables are short), a town at the head of Lake Chelan 
in Chelan County. 

Steilacoom (accent on the first syllable, in which the 
two vowels have the sound and value of a short “i;” 
the vowel in the second syllable is short, and the two 
vowels in the final syllable have the same sound as in 
“boom”), a city in Pierce County. 

Stillaguamish (accent on the third syllable, in 
which the “a” has the broad sound as if followed by 
“h;” the other vowels are all short), a river in Sno¬ 
homish County. 


SwiNOMlSH (accent on the first syllable, in which 
the vowel is short; the second vowel is long, and that 
in the final syllable is short), a slough and an Indian 
reservation in Skagit County. 

Tacoma (accent on the second syllable, in which the 
vowel is long; the first vowel is short, and the final 
one is broad, as if followed by “h”), the county seat 
of Pierce County. 

Tatoosh (accent on the second syllable; the first 
vowel is short), name of an island off Cape Flat¬ 
tery at the northwestern corner of the state. 

Tekoa (accent on the first syllable, in which the 
vowel is long; the “o” in the second syllable is long 
and the final “a” is usually ignored in pronunciation), 
a town in the northwestern part of Whitman County. 
Tenino (accent on the second syllable, in which the 
vowel is long; the first vowel is short and the final 
vowel is long), a town in Thurston County. 
Toppenish (accent on the first syllable; all the vow¬ 
els are short), a town in Yakima County. 

TuLALIP (accent on the second syllable, in which the 
vowel is long; the “u” in the first syllable has the 
sound of “oo” and the vowel in the final syllable is 
short), name of a bay and an Indian reservation in 
Snohomish County. 

Tumtum (accent on the first syllable; both vowels 
are short), name of a town in Stevens County. 


Wahkiakum (accent on the second syllable, in 
which the “i” is long; the first “a” has the usual 
sound when followed by “h” and the other two vow¬ 
els are short; an effort to shorten the “i” and to 
transfer the accent to the “a” following has not suc¬ 
ceeded), name of a county on the Columbia River. 
Walla Walla (slight accent on the first syllable 
of each of the two words; all the vowels have the 
broad sound as if followed by "h,” some early writ¬ 
ers spelling the word “Wollah”), name of a river, a 
valley, a county and a city. 

Wallula (accent on the second syllable, in which 
the “u” has the sound of “oo;” each of the other 
vowels has the broad sound as if followed by “h”). 

Washtucna (accent on the second syllable, in 
which the vowel is short; each of the other vowels 
sounds as if followed by “h”), a town in Adams 
County. 

Wawawai (accent on the second syllable, in which 
the vowel sounds as if followed by “h,” which is also 
the case in the first syllable; the last syllable is pro¬ 
nounced as if spelled "wee”), a town on the Snake 
River, in Whitman County. 

Wenas (accent on the second syllable, in which the 
vowel is short; the vowel in the first syllable is long), 
name of a river and a town in Yakima County. 

Wenatchee (accent on the second syllable, in which 




the vowel is short; the other vowels are long), name 
of a lake, a river and a city in Chelan County. 
Whatcom (accent on the first syllable, in which the 
vowel sounds as if followed by “h;” the vowel in the 
second syllable is short), name of a lake, a creek and 
a county. 

WlLLAPA (the accent seems to be divided between 
the first and last syllables with a little more of the 
stress on the last; the last vowel is broad as if fol¬ 
lowed by "h,” while the other two vowels are short), 
the name of a river and town in Pacific County, and 
now the name of Willapa Harbor has supplanted 
the old and misleading name of Shoalwater Bay. 
WlSHKA (accent on the first syllable, in which the 
vowel is short and the final vowel sounds broad as if 
followed by “h.” 

Wynooche (accent on the second syllable; the first 
vowel is long and the final “che” is pronounced as if 
spelled “chie”), a river in Chehalis County. 

Yakima (accent on the first syllable, in which the 
vowel is short; the vowel in the second syllable is 
also short, while the final vowel is broad as if fol¬ 
lowed by “h”), the name of a river, a county and 
a city. 







H ERE ends the Book of Indian Geograph¬ 
ic Names of Washington, as compiled 
hy Prof. Edmond S. Meany of the Uni¬ 
versity of Washington, and published hy 
'The Hyatt-Fo wells School, which is the 
business college that is “A little better than seems nec¬ 
essary," and which is located at the corner of Pine 
& Broadway, Seattle. 



June, A. D. 1908. 
















































































